Ayaka Nakayama uses career-best round to boost UCF to fifth

Former IJGA student, Ayaka Nakayama joined the University of Central Florida‘s (UCF) Women’s Golf roster in 2013 to begin her collegiate golf career. Adding to her extensive successes, Nakayama shot a career-low 66 (1-under) to help the Knights finish fifth overall in the Schooner Fall Classic on Monday, October 6, 2014.

With 18 teams in participation, the Schooner Fall Classic was held at Belmar Golf Club in Norman, Okla., on October 4-6, 2014. Nakayama wasted no time gaining momentum for her team as she birdied four of her five opening holes, going on to add two more on the back nine. She combined scores of 71, 70 and her impressive low round of 66 for a three-day total 211.

“I got off to great start today,” Nakayama said to UCF media staff. “Then I just kept playing one hole at a time, trying to make as many birdies as I could.”

Nakayama is in her second season with UCF and has posted personal highlights including a previous low-round 73 in her freshman season at the UCF Challenge and finishing 22nd overall in the Florida Shootout in the same season.

While at the IJGA, Nakayama played in 35 IJGT events, taking home 10 first-place trophies and finishing in the top-three in 20 of those events.

On behalf of the IJGA, congratulations Ayaka Nakayama and the UCF Knights on your performances!